


The one where Amren finds out

by NoMatterTheOceans



Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: ACOMAF Rhys POV, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-15
Updated: 2020-02-15
Packaged: 2021-02-27 18:34:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22730314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoMatterTheOceans/pseuds/NoMatterTheOceans
Summary: One-shot of Rhys and Amren talking about the mating bond, after Feyre's first evening in Velaris
Relationships: Feyre Archeron/Rhysand
Comments: 8
Kudos: 83





	The one where Amren finds out

**Author's Note:**

  * For [quakeriders](https://archiveofourown.org/users/quakeriders/gifts).



> I love thinking about what Rhys was thinking about/feeling during ACOMAF, so this joins my small collection of Rhys POV one-shots!

Rhys left Feyre on the terrace of the townhouse, shooting towards the sky in a few swift movements. Away from her intoxicating presence, from the soft words she'd just given him, unaware of the effect she had on him, of the constant restraint he had to exercise in order to not touch her, to not kiss her.

He roamed aimlessly for a while, letting the feeling of the wind on his wings invade his body and wash away the phantom presence of Feyre's body in his arms.

It was gonna be hard, he realized. Having her in Velaris, so close to him, living with him, and not be mated. He'd barely been able to focus on anything during her stay at the palace, and now she was going to sleep in a bedroom only a few feet away from his, unaware of the unrelenting hunger that was consuming his body, his mind.

It would be hard, he thought again as he flew over the theater, but he would handle it. They had a job to do, more important than anything else, And he wouldn't let his feelings for her get in the way of that job.

Finally, he started flying towards his destination on the other side of the city. Swiftly, he landed on the roof of Amren's building and winnowed outside her apartment door. He would never risk winnowing directly inside his Second's home without a warning.

He knocked, and a groan welcomed him. Inside, Amren was sitting cross-legged on her bed, chucking down a large glass of blood. He let a smile spread on his lips at the sight. Feyre had been curious as to what Amren ate, and he was sure he would be delighted by her reaction when she’d find out. Maybe her eyes would widen, maybe her lips would part slightly and - 

He stopped his thoughts right here. He wasn't here to think about her.

"She's your mate."

Or maybe he was. He sighed and looked back at Amren, who was now delicately wiping her lips, her grey eyes staring at him with a knowing look.

"Yes, she is."

He didn't ask how she knew. He'd seen the exact moment she'd smelled them together and understood. Instead, he just waited for her to talk again.

"And she doesn't know. Why doesn't she know, Rhysand?"

"Because her being my mate is irrelevant."

She snorted at that.

"Oh really?"

"Yes."

"So, tearing your mate away from her soon-to-be-husband," he flinched at the words, "bringing her here to this secret place, having her stay in your own house. This has nothing to do with her being your mate, then?”

Against his best judgement, her crossed his arms against his chest. Because she was right, of course she was. Yes, he needed Feyre to prevent the war, and yes she was the one that had decided to come here, but… He’d wanted her to. He had wished she would come here with him. During all those weeks separating her visits at the palace, he’d spent every minute in Velaris wishing he would one day get to show her the city, to walk with her along the Sidra and fly with her around these mountains.

“You should tell her,” Amren said, interrupting his train of thought, getting up from her bed to stand in front of him.

“I can’t. With everything that’s happening, all the work we have to do to prepare for war, I need her focused on working, and getting better. Giving her more reason to be depressed and confused is not a good strategic decision. For her, or anyone else.”

He knew he was lying. He knew none of those were the real reason why he wasn’t ready to tell her. But he couldn’t admit it out loud. She rolled her eyes and, despite her small size, managed to stare down at him in disdain.

“Still, there’s the matter of keeping the peace with the other courts, Rhysand. She was his bride. It doesn’t matter that she decided to leave him, it doesn’t matter that you weren’t the one who went in to get her. If Tamlin wants to attack us, he’s allowed to do so. If she were to accept the bond, it would -”

“No.”

“Rhysand -”

“I won’t force her to accept it just to save my own ass, Amren.”

“How about to save the rest of our world? You know as well as me that a unified Prythian is paramount to face Hybern. Exposing the fact that you didn’t steal her away could help us in the long run.”

“She’s not a bargaining chip, Amren, and I won’t treat her as such.”

“You’re right, she’s not. And yet you’re the one lying to her. She deserves to know the truth, Rhysand. Who are you to decide for her that she’s not ready to hear it? Who are you to take the choice away from her?”

“If she knows, she’ll think I only helped her because of this. She’ll resent me for it.”

“And it’s not true? Aren’t you helping her because she’s your mate? I know the instinct can be strong.”

“No.” He took a deep breath before continuing. And when he spoke, the words were truer than anything he’d told Mor, than anything he’d let himself think. “I’m helping her because I’m in love with her. I was in love with her even before I knew what she was to me. I can’t burden her with this, Amren. With… With being shackled to me. Her life has just begun, she doesn’t deserve this.”

And his friend, this mighty creature standing in front of him, who had known him for centuries and had never seemed to care about his romantic entanglements, seemed to understand. She sighed and sat back down on the bed.

“Alright. But if it comes to internal war -”

“It won’t.”

“ _ If _ it does,” she glared at him, daring him to interrupt her again. He didn’t. “you’ll have to tell her. I will not send our armies into a war that can be avoided, simply because you’re not ready to face your feelings. Is that clear?”

Her voice was cold, unrelenting, and he knew once again why he had chosen her to second him in battle. He nodded solemnly, and she relaxed slightly.

“For what it’s worth,” she added. “I don’t think she would see being your mate as a burden. It’s not what you are.”

He rose an eyebrow as that. “Since when are you the most sentimental of us, Amren?”

She snorted again, and he was breathing easier, the tension dissipated between them. They spent the next hour sharing a bottle of wine, talking about the best course of action for the next few weeks, about troop placements and battle strategies if it ever came to open war.

Rhys went home afterwards, almost pushed out the door by the tiny woman. He stopped in front of Feyre’s bedroom door for a minute, relishing in the mere idea of her being so close to him. He was about to go to his own bedroom when he heard her scream in her sleep, and went in to help her.

**Author's Note:**

> What did you guys think?? Did you like it?


End file.
